The The Zine Volume 4 Issue 10: Special Manga Supplement

What is this? Why is it laid out in this strange way? Why can’t I read these comics like other comics?

What you are looking at is a peculiar and beautiful product of trade, war, occupation, and several generations of cultural cross pollination. All of this taking place between two countries: the United States and Japan.

It all started in the 1930’s when American publishers started packaging old newspaper comic strips into what we today call the comic book. These were wildly popular among youth at the time and soon original stories were being created exclusively for the new comic book format.

The children who grew up reading these comics were the same people who invaded and occupied Japan after World War Two. Occupation can be a boring way to spend your time so they brought their comic books with. These comic books were among the many cultural products of the United States that entered Japan after the war.

Soon artists like Osamu Tezuka were applying Japanese concepts, language, and aesthetics to the American comic book format. This has continued to develop into the Japanese comic format called Manga. It would be easy to assume that Manga is a derivation of American comics, but its ties to historically Japanese forms of art are just as influential making it just as much Japanese as it is American.

Manga artists changed the direction in which page elements were read to match the conventions of Japanese language. Pictures were streamlined and facial expressions exaggerated to mimic the fast paced reading style of Kanji and to speed up production. To this day they continue to add to the ever-growing catalogue of unique comics language called symbolia. [Examples of symbolia would be the symbolic use of stars around the head called squeans signifying disorientation, a sweat droplets called plewds to signify stress (see page 2 panel 1), and a bulging vein symbol for anger (see page 10 panel 1 bottom of balloon on left)].

Through the red scare of the 1950’s and the cultural disillusion of the 1960’s censorship and stagnation combined so that American Comics lost their relevance and readers lost interest. However in the 1980’s and 1990’s American soldiers based in Japan were reading Manga and watching Anime (Japanese Animation). Soon they were bringing these cultural products back with them to share with other Americans. As demand has grown Japanese publishers have translated and published a wider variety of Manga for the American market with it’s own distinctive look and language.

During this period kids in St. Paul developed an insatiable appetite for Manga due to the fact that censorship killed stories of romance, horror, war, and crime produced by American comic publishers. Girls learned that there are places in the world where women make comics that are fun to read. These students started making stories of their own heavily influenced by Manga and these budding efforts are what you are about to read. No one knows what exciting developments they will contribute to the language of comics or if these American Manga artists will be adored by future generations of Japanese and American readers, but here we see the continuation of history looping back on its self.

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The The Zine Volume 4 Issue 5

A quick glance at the table of contents will show you that we have 25 articles from 21 contributors! Does it get any better than this!?!

The theme for this issue is Ghosts and Rejection. Ouch! We all know a thing or two about those topics so there is plenty of great material and our contributors lost no time in exploring it’s full potential.

First Off we have a great cover by one of our star artists Star! (What an appropriate name!)

Doing the cover didn’t slow down Star either because she’s right back at it with the next installment of Shadows of Doubt (p57). Will Rhys and Kaze join Star and Biocide as they escape the city? Or will they just stay home and comb their hair? I sense were about to be set up for a big change in this one!

Mukey has created a fun ethereal piece for page 1 and then a disturbing tale of two brothers called Spirit Bond (p17). A little funny & a little creepy. Mukey is a talent worth keeping your eye on!

I’m sure you all know that Tribal is a very difficult comic to produce so it might be a while. In the mean time Charles McGregor has submitted some art for your hungry eyes (p2)!

The phlegmatic Robert Flare is back with another illustrated poem titled Fear of Rejection (p3). I’m sure you all know what he means.

Club President Maximillian Jay is tearing it up with another great poem Rejection & Aggression (p4). I had to insist that it not be type set because he has such a great hand and you would really be missing out if you didn’t get a chance to see it. Then two comics Opium Street (p5) and Spirited (p6) check them out and give yourself some time to digest and enjoy the work of this illustration virtuoso.

Robert Griffen and Hannah have made their first contribution of the year with Angry Eddie (p7) A quick little one pager that explains it all.

You don’t know it, but we’ve been holding a dark horse talent in the wings for some time and in this issue you will get your first taste of Lil Usagi Rikku. Don’t let the little name fool you behind it is some big talent. Rikku’s first effort is a one page ghost story called Rejected (p8). It’s smart & it’s funny.

Then another first time contribution Suicidal Girl by: Pen Boi (p9). If we keep pooling fresh talent this good we are going to have to start selling ads!

Cheese Cake is another first timer getting in on the fun with a quick reminder to our readers to Luff Thy Ghost (p10) which is good advice I personally take to heart.

Then Senior contributor Hue Lor is back, as promised, with the eagerly anticipated second installment of Moments in My life (p11).

Did you hear? Cocoa’s back! The Athena of comic club, born fully formed, has concocted for you the 3rd chapter in her yet untitled series (p13). Chapter 3: Steve & The Ghost is full of great twists that will shock you and may even leave you rolling with incoherent laughter. This is good stuff and if you haven’t read the first two you can find them on the club web site hscclub.net

Have you ever wondered what could cause a girl to scream “bite me” and then a boy to start crunching and gnawing on her arm relentlessly with inordinate exuberance until they eventually fall in love? Well you’re in luck because Kaname is back to answer that question and many more with a prequel called What Happened Before Alice’s First Kiss (p25).

Tangerine is making her debut (p31) with a great untitled piece full of ghosts, love, and bookworms with a twists… how appropriate. Quick Tangerine think of a title! I sense another series!

Arashi and Yura Moon have teamed up on their first effort! A feast for the eyes called Love of My Death (p34) and I can’t wait to see what they do next! Oh, and it reads Manga style so don’t forget to read right to left.

Are you ready for something funny? I know I am and here comes Na Na’s debut story Passion of Kai just in time (p37)! Na Na’s inventive humor is infectious so it’s going to be hard not to share this one with your friends!

Didn’t you love the piece by Annie Moua in the last issue! I think everyone did! Well she is back to continue the story and now it has a name. So get in line because there are all ready many fans of the new series Shine (p41).

Ok So we are all on edge for the next episode of Sin (p51). (I don’t know why I keep typing since everyone has already turned to page 51… I must go on! My integrity is at stake!) We all want to know if Envy and Vanity stay together, but also is Wrath going to have his way with the princess? And how does the princess feel about that? I have a strange feeling someone new is going to enter the scene. Oh and don’t forget to checkout the nice back cover also by AI.

Konoha has told me that Dragon’s Dream’s adventures in The Land of Muse are going to come to an end soon (p62). No worries though because we are finally going to get back to figuring out what is going on with the writer 122.13.7. I for one have been in suspense for months.

This is followed up by a beautiful drawing by our art director; Kage (p67).

Finally we have a stunning finish to this unprecedented issue of The The Zine. I am very excited to tell you A powerhouse creative team of Kage and Konoha have joined their creative talents to bring a new story to our pages called Bonded (p68). I’m glad to say it is nothing less than what you would expect from this talented and prolific team!

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The The Zine Volume 4 Issue 4

First Kiss

How do they do it!?! Quality work keeps rolling in!

Did you see the cover by Cocoa? Isn’t it great! She’s taking a break from contributing a story this issue, but she did turn in some art to tide you over! (p1) Genius!

Max J’s at it again busy with another great back cover and poem with illustrations! (p2) Don’t forget
to check out his other pieces First Class (p3) and Soul Relaxation (p5) I’m sure you will agree he’s the king… er president of style!

We also have a poem by Robert Folayan! (p4) Just as I promised in issue 2. He’s throwing in some graphic stylings of his own just to keep up the visual interest. You will not be disappointed!

Jack Ferobruesse is making his debut contribution on (p5) with a great little character sketch he did in his notebook! He’s a hard guy to track, but when he stops long enough to put pen to paper craziness is quick to follow!

There is so much to be excited about in this issue of The The Zine. Like the return of Flying Ninja! (p6) I love Flying Ninja! I want the shirt, the lunch box, the plushy! Most of all I want more Flying Ninja Comics! I can not gush enough! You must read Flying Ninja! … Flying Ninja!!!

Then Pa San cracks open our minds with her unique collage of kissing culture and some tongue in cheek commentary at the end (p8). Continuing to blow comic making conventions out the window Pa San’s work is exciting both for it’s content and it’s form.

This is Wangsta’s debut issue and what a piece to come in on! Already a master of pacing 1st Kiss (p10) is a 5 page roller coaster of love! You’ll feel like you’ve lived a whole life when you’re done.

Then the stuff that keeps bringing me back, Sin! (that sounded bad) (p15). Wrath seemed pretty determined to put the moves on the royal hostage. What’s this!?! Where is Baka Ranger Red and who is this A. I. impostor? Has the author of Sin been taken hostage too? No worries folks; I did some investigative work and found out that B.R.R. is just changing her name. Different name same great work. Enjoy!

Then the trials of Star and Biocide continue in Shadows of Doubt (p21). The tension is so thick you could cut it with an axe, but I prefer a chainsaw. It’s a real hand wringing nail biter and frankly it’s giving me an ulcer. Star is doing an excellent job at keeping everyone even the Zine crew on the edge of their seats!

I am so happy to say that Konoha is continuing to reveal more about the land of Muse in Dragon’s Dream. (p24) including some exciting back story on Cia Siab aka Emajin8: 122.13.7’s muse. I’m really enjoying this one. With subtle and deep back-story behind every character the more I read the better it gets!

Then Hue Lor is back with “Moments in My Life” (p28) his tell all biography of what he’s been doing in the years since he published last. This time I know he’s here to stay because he’s got the next two issues canned and ready to go.

Remember that piece by Charles McGregor I promised you back in issue 1? Well he is finally presenting the first installment of Tribal. (p29) If you’ve been waiting for an action story it’s here

Then if you’re looking for something short funny and sweet we’ve got Alice’s First Kiss by first time contributor Kaname (p36).

Finally we end on the dark side of love with this amazing first time contribution by the talented storyteller Annie Moua (p37)

Where does all this amazing talent come from???

Harding Comic Club of course!

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The The Zine Volume 4 Issue 3

The Comical Tragedy.

Even with the most intense publishing schedule of any zine crew to date a high volume of work is still coming in! We even held a vote and decided to keep our bi-weekly deadlines! I’m so excited I forgot what periods are for!

To add to the exciting news a forum has been added on a trial basis to the website HSCCLUB.NET where we can discuss comic club! We’re still working out details and any suggestions for improvements to the site would be appreciated!

This issue marks the first writing published in The The Zine! A great poem by our president Max.J! (p1) It’s accompanied by a great drawing by one of our newest members
Michael Cellier! If you have a story or poem you would like to contribute please bring it to a club meeting and we will consider it for publication in The The Zine!

We have another great first time contribution by Big Pride and Chewy (p7) a whimsical piece about flying Ninja’s! It’s sooo great I hope it becomes a regular series for The The Zine!

Another new contribution, just in time for Valentines Day, is Chocolate Wars by Monkey and Cocoa! (p8) Find out who got the most chocolate from the girls on Valentines Day!

Regular readers will be excited to see the conclusion of Cocoa’s Valentine’s Day! (p3) This was such a sweet (& cruelly tragic) story! I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Moo²’s back (p4) with another short sweet and tragically funny story about snow people in spring that just gets funnier every time I read it!

And please don’t miss Pa San’s Comically Tragic “Tragedy of Love!” (p5) She makes such great little strips!

Then it’s time for the big three dramatic anchors of Zine! The latest episode of “Sin” (p13) has Wrath introduce the royal guest to the dangers of the forest & maybe a little romantic intrigue as well! Keep up the good work Baka Ranger Red!

Then in “Shadows of Doubt” will Star stay with Biocide or will his fatal flaw drive her away? (p19) With mentions of new characters It looks like Star’s in it for the long haul on this one!

Finally Konoha takes us to The Land of Muse in “Dragon’s Dream!” (p23) We finally learn about the muses & what they think of people!

Finally another blast from the past with the final episode of Copyright Morons! (p29) Where Professor Aragorn presents the rebirth of Captain America!

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The The Zine Volume 4 Issue 2

Love & Pain: Romance & Horror.

Aaahhh February! Soon it will be Valentines day and with this day comes hearts and arrows; roses and chocolates, but we here at The The Zine are not so optimistic about this dark holiday feigning innocence. Valentines day is the day when hearts are broken, arrows are sharp, and the roses have thorns. Not to mention that anyone expressing true long term affection would pack you a healthy lunch not a box of chocolates! As you can see from our wonderful cover by club president Max.J. the theme for this issue of The The Zine? is Love & Pain: Romance & Horror.

Just so we don’t leave you too shocky we have some first time contributions from Pa on pages 2 and 10 to give us some short breaks from the horror and romance. Then right away on page 3 we jump into the inevitable with a beautiful first time contribution by club member Cocoa.

Baka Ranger Red is back with her second contribution displaying cunning situational humor. A story called “Sin” (page 5) wherein three rascals debate ethics while the fate of innocent royalty is on the line.

This is followed by Star’s second contribution in a story titled “Shadows of Doubt” (page 11) where romantic intentions are interrupted. Oh and don’t forget to check out the sweet back cover also designed by Star.

Finally this issue is brought to a close with the second installment of Dragon’s Dream (page 17). Konoha promises that she will be explaining the muses in the next issue, but in the mean time enjoy the antics as we get to know Zaj and the mysterious muse Ares a little better.

Finally I would like to introduce two of the main forces that have brought Comic Club back for another year our new club president: Maximillian Jay and The The Zine art director Kage! No one has spent more time in comic club over the years than these two. Don’t miss Max.J’s letter immediately to the right.

There is a lot of great work coming down the pipe as The The Zine? goes bi-weekly!

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